Shoe heater



Feb. 7, 1961 J. H. GAQUIN sHoE HEATER Filed Nov. 5, 195e United States Patent-O "i SHOE HEATER John Harold Gaquin, Haverhill, Mass., assigner to Beckwith-Arden Inc., Watertown, Mass., a corporation of New Hampshire Y This invention comprises a new and improved shoe heater for conditioning partly finished shoes for box toe and counter molding and stilening by the application of steam.

Shoe heaters of this type include a steam chamber from which moist steam is directed into contact with the toe or heel ends of shoe uppers preliminarily assembled on a last in order to soften and condition the upper material which it is desired to mold and stiien n the contour of the last. Factory conditions generally require the steam to be generated and applied at approximately atmospheric pressure and this gives rise to several problems caused by partial condensation'of the steam in its passage to contact the shoe upper. The present invention supplies a stfilution for these problems as will be pointed out hereina ter.

Steam conditioning of the unfinished shoe usually takes place when the upper is presented as preliminarily assembled on a last to the bottom of which the inso.e has been tacked and to which the lasted margin of the upper has been or is to be secured by cement. If the steam reaching the insole carries with it condensation in the shape of drops of water, adhesion between the lasting margin of the upper and the insole is seriously impaired. In dealing with patent leather the presence of condensed drops in the steam is very objectionable because the leather absorbs the moisture and is rendered so exible that it stretches in the lasting operation causing the enamel to crack. Further, in dealing with leather of pastel shades, a very objectionable discoloration of the leather is caused by contact with wet steam, and in dealing with suede upper leather, treatment with wet steam often causes the suede to mat dow1ii n tl 1eY bwedlastingmnachilldrJI` rfsuruinwgi the lasting operation. Still another di culty that has been encountered in the use of automatic machinery wherever the insole is permitted to absorb moisture in steam treatment is that the positioning post or abutment is likely to sink into a moisture-saturated insole making it impossible accurately to wipe inthe upper. All of these difficulties are avoided in accordance with the process of the present invention which is characterized by directing moist steam toward the shoe bottom and superheating the steam in its passage toward the shoe so that it reaches the insole and upperin drycondition and incidental condensation is eliminated.

Apparatus for carrying out this process includes a frame superposed upon a steam chamber, a support for' holding an uninished shoe in position above the chamber which is provided with ports directed toward the shoe, and means located above the ports for superheating steam issuing from them yin its passage toward the shoe.

An important feature of the invention residesl in the l employment of a tubular infraredv lamp as the superheating medium. VUnder most favorable conditions the steam chamber isvv provided with a perforated top wall which is concave in cross `section and the tubular lamp .is located within the concavity of this top wall where it is most eciently located forsuperheating and drying 2,970,331 Patented Feb. 7, 1961 ice 4 conditioned.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following descnption of preferred apparatus for carrying out the invention,

selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the acl companying drawings in which:

Fig. 4 is a corresponding view in cross section illustrat-` ing a modification of the invention.

The apparatus herein shown comprises a rectangular strip steel frame 10 open at its bottom and adjustably secured to an underlying steam chamber 11. This is provided with steam connections including an inlet iitting 12, a downwardly inclined steam pipe 13 located in the bottom of the chamber, and an outlet fitting 14. In the illustrated apparatus steam at substantially atmospheric pressure is supplied to the pipe 13 and discharged upwardly through its perforations as indicated in Fig. 1. The pipe is inclined so that condensation will drain from the right hand end of the chamber through the outlet titting 14. It will be understood that if desired, water may be supplied to the steam chamber 11 and steam generated therein by an electric heating unit or other convenient means.

'lne steam chamber 11 is provided with an upwardly concave top wall 15 defining a trough provided with a plurality of spaced ports 16 which it will be seen are directed upwardly and generally toward the axis of curvature of the top wall 15. Within the concavity of the top wall 15 is located a tubular quartz'infrared lamp. Such lamps 17 are readily procurabie in diameter from up. The quartz from which they are formed has a softening point of 3000 F. They are designed to operate in a horizontal position and are available in 500 watt capacity on 11S-125 volt circuit.

It will thus be seen that the tube 17 supplies a high concentration of heat energy in the area occupied by the steam as it emerges from the ports 16 and passes upwardly in reaching the shoe.

The frame 10 carries a rectangular shoe support having a top wall in the shape of an open mesh anel 19 -and sidewallse18fwhicli ebrace the frame 10 and are adjustably secured theretowby wing nuts 20 threaded into the franleandfpassing'through vertical slots in the support. "lhe support as shown in Fig. 3 includes also a wire loop 21 designed to support the forepart of an uniinshed shoe while tne heel seat and shank portions of the shoe rest upon the mesh panel 19 directly in the'path ofwthe Y Y top of tne casing 23 is provided with an adjustable damper 2 6 for regulating the escape of superheated steam supand desireto secure by Letters Patent:

plied from the chamber 11 through the ports 16 which surf "medias 1 steam chamber, supporting means for positioning an unnished shoe above the steam chamber, said chamber having a top wall with ports'formed therein, said top'wall being upwardly' concave in cross section whereby steam passing through said ports is generally directed towards the axis of curvature of said wall, and a heating element mounted'above said wall in the general vicinity of Sad aXlS.

2. A shoe heater comprising a frame containing a' steam chamber, supportingm'eans for positionng an unnshed shoe` above thesteam chamber, said chamber having an oblong top wall with ports formed therein; said top wall being :upwardly concave in lcross section and defining an arcuate trough on the upper portion of said wall whereby steam passing through said'ports on the way to said shoe is generally'directedtowards the axis of curva ture of said trough, and ani elongated heating element mounted above said wall longitudinally within said trough and in the vicinity of said axis for superheating said steam in its passage towards said shoe.

References Cited in the tile ofr this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,032,267

l Bastianr VJuly..9, `119.12 1,373,481 Brock Apr. 5, 1921 2,283,306 Andrews May 19, 1942 2,662,964 `Simms Dec. 15, 1953 2,831,950 -Lefebore Apr. 22, 1958 2,844,699 Miskella ...l July 22, 1958 

